Leaked diplomatic cables from late 2007, newly released by Wikileaks, shed some light on the processes by which next year’s leadership succession was determined, as well as some juicier though perhaps less substantial morsels. From Aftenposten:
Anointing Xi and Li as China´s next leaders largely determines the outlines of Chinese elite politics for the next fifteen years. In the end, Xi Jinping was reportedly ranked ahead of Hu Jintao protege Li Keqiang because